I’ve always wanted to be a shrewd negotiator. To get a great deal on something simply due to my slick talking and hardened determination, or willingness to walk away from a deal, hoping the seller would chase me down and beg me to come back. But I suck at bluffing, and my conscience usually gets in the way. I really don’t like burning bridges or cheating anyone. The one time I … [Read more...] about Power Equipment: Buyer Beware!
Why You Shouldn’t Use Fire to Demolish Structures
(For legal purposes, I have to say this is not advice. I do not recommend doing this in any way shape or form, nor do the owners of this blog, business, or any of its subsidiaries. This is a cautionary tale.) I’m either a pyromaniac, lazy, or cheap. Most likely, it’s all three. I don’t want to dismantle a building and then discard the materials at a dump or recycling center. … [Read more...] about Why You Shouldn’t Use Fire to Demolish Structures
Broiler Chickens Are Bred to Be Lazy!
The images from factory farms can be very disturbing. Thousands of layer hens crammed into tiny cages, de-beaked as chicks so they don’t peck each other to death, their feet cramped as they walk on feces-covered wire mesh, and a constant stream of “feed” in front of them, sometimes made from the by-products of their fallen brethren. Even the “cage-free” broiler chickens are … [Read more...] about Broiler Chickens Are Bred to Be Lazy!
5 Mistakes Real Pig Farmers Don’t Make
Death on the homestead is commonplace. Sometimes it's planned but many times it is not. And that’s one reason why most kids who grow up on a farm accept death so easily. It’s a hard lesson, but sometimes a tasty one as well… Shortly after getting our first homestead in Omaha, we decided to get three piglets. We’ve always been vehemently against mega hog farms and wanted to … [Read more...] about 5 Mistakes Real Pig Farmers Don’t Make
Second-Hand Critters: A Cautionary Tale
It’s not a good idea to find a babysitter on Craigslist. It’s not a good idea to buy full-grown animals on the Internet either. Almost no one sells you their good animals. You’re likely getting a scratch-and-dent model that could be sick, nervous, or destructive. It’s a lesson I learned when I bought a ewe online and ended up barbequing her a few weeks later. I got on the … [Read more...] about Second-Hand Critters: A Cautionary Tale
